Data from YPulse’s WE Cooking and Diets Report shows that 29% of young Europeans are turning to social media to get recipes, and it’s helping them gain more confidence in the kitchen. But with the amount of foodie social media content available, it’s hard for foodie creators to stand out from the crowd. And it doesn’t help that European Gen Z is less interested in foodie content on social media than Millennials, a key finding from our recent trend report The End of Foodie Culture (As We Know It).
But this gen can be reached with food. When a content creator manages to make niche but realistic food content, or a hashtag gets a couple of million views—they’re often hitting the mark with young Europeans. After all, YPulse research shows that nearly three-quarters of young Europeans have watched online videos about food / recipes (72%). With social media being a hot spot for foodie content, brands need to know what type of content creators these gens are turning to, which is why we’re bringing the best examples of what’s getting them scrolling:
#chinesetakeaway: 245M views on TikTok
Eight in ten European Gen Z and Millennials agree with the statement: “I enjoy food from other countries,” and the success of TikTok’s #chinesetakeaway shows how much these gens look forward to Chinese food for their weekly treat—and enjoy sharing their orders on socials. The hashtag is particularly popular within the U.K., with 3M views in the last seven days alone. YPulse data highlights the popularity of eating out / ordering takeout among young U.K. consumers compared to their peers in this region; 47% would rather eat out / order takeout than cook or prepare food at home, +7pts more than young consumers in the rest of the region. So, people’s orders on their feeds aren’t helping their cravings for a takeaway. And with 72% of the hashtag viewing audience being between the ages of 18-24, the messy (but delicious) plate-ups are the exact kind of content young Europeans are after on their FYPs.
#chinesetakeaway is also popular right now because foodie culture is changing among young Europeans: European Gen Z is more likely than Millennials to eat fast food, with “oddly-satisfying food” being one of their top type of food content. #chinesetakeaway is full of videos of content creators showing what they’ve ordered, from curry sauce to salt and pepper chicken to chips, and the messiness associated with this type of fast food is attractive to Gen Z—far from the perfectly filtered food favoured by Millennials.
@donatodecaprio: 3M followers on TikTok
Alongside the popularity of messy, imperfect food is the viral Italian deli @donatodecaprio. Not shy on meal portions, this account shows them taking orders from customers, and making the order. With thick slices of bread, lots of meat, mozzarella, and oil, the imperfect sandwich has gained traction online across the globe. Despite the rushed nature of their TikTok, the all-natural ingredients is part of the appeal, too. It reflects the fact that Italians have high regard for the quality of their food, with YPulse research showing that 42% of young Italians only consume organic or all-natural food, the highest rate in Western Europe. And with Italy considering a ban on artificially made food, premium ingredients such as the ones used by @donatodecaprio will continue to gain interest.
@donatodecaprio has also posted videos of customers travelling from Argentina, Canada, and Britain to try their traditional Italian deli. Travel is one of the top five goals and aspirations for both generations, and Gen Z looking for social-post-worthy spots to travel to. @donatodecaprio’s influence grew a lot recently, to the point that Bella Hadid even gave him a follow.
@daddymaycooks: 1.4M followers on TikTok
For Millennial parents struggling with what to feed their children, or those interested in seeing ordinary British family life, @daddymaycooks and his other channel @itsdaddymay have racked up 1.4M views on each account in just a couple of years. Starting with his @itsdaddymay account, Daddy May posts videos showing him plating up dinner faster than his family can come downstairs. Later, his @daddymaycooks channel was created to show the home-cooked meals (and cheeky takeaways) the family has throughout the week.
The family’s rise to fame has been quick but it’s the kind of content Millennial parents have been after. Sixty-one per cent ofand keeping in mind European Millennial parents are more firmly against feeding their children fast food than their North American peers by 30pts—@daddymaycooks provides inspo for homemade meals, including life with picky-eaters that the 56% of Europeans parents struggle with. This creator’s recipes is also gaining popularity among non-parents. Young Europeans believe meals cooked by home cooks are a cool food marketing technique, which is exactly what Daddy May provides on his channel, and why his follower count continues to grow.
@thehealchef: 3.3M followers on TikTok
Creator Harry Heal, who is known more commonly as @thehealchef, creates dishes on TikTok from across the globe. Harry Heal’s success lies in the fact that he provides recipes for every dish he presents on social, and that he specializes in comfort food and world sandwiches. For example, his most popular series has recipes like poutine from Canada, porn Adobo from the Philippines, and currywurst from Germany, just to name a few. And while some comments criticise Harry’s recipes, many followers like the fact that it helps them to experiment in the kitchen and try something a little different.
Data from YPulse’s Local / Global Citizenship Report reveals that 77% of European Gen Z and Millennials said they like to eat food from different cultures and ethnicities. With help from @thehealchef, young consumers can now experiment with foods from other cultures in their own kitchen, without leaving the house. After all, over half (53%) of these gens say they’ve cooked something an online influencer cooked—so, the rising popularity of Harry Heal is of interest to the adventurous, food-curious European Millennials who wanna try something new.
